To Protect You
by Hoshii-chan
Summary: Life at the palace is harsh for the two young slaves, Sakura and Syaoran. Can fate entwine them together or will their love be shattered?
1. Arriving and Comforting

^^ I have started a new story! I got this idea ages ago but haven't had much time to write it....so please R+R. Go easy on the criticism onegai..?  
  
Prologue  
  
"Okaa-san..."  
  
A young 5 year old girl hid as she cried, tears flowing down her cheeks. Her hair was a light auburn color, tied up in what looked like two bunches. However, strands of hair were now loose and fell down the sides of her face. Her emerald eyes looked as if they were once filled with happiness, but now they contained fear and pain.  
  
"What was he doing...okaa-san...?"  
  
She remembered her mother's screaming before she was stabbed by a knife. The blood staining her mother's silk dress...dripping onto the floor. All she could do was to stare in fear. Then her repeated shouts of "Wake up...okaa-san!" But her mother's eyes remained closed. Her useless struggle to escape before she was transported here. Not knowing what was going to happen to her, she cried even more.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
Someone had grabbed her by the wrist. She shrank back in fear, but she was trapped between that person and the wall.  
  
"Stay away! Please just leave me alone." she screamed.  
  
"I'm not going to hurt you...I promise." His voice, though young, was soft and comforting. Sakura turned and faced a boy who was not much older than she was. His hair was a light chocolate brown and his eyes, though fierce, had a softened expression as he looked at her.  
  
"You're not going to hurt me?" she asked, a note of uncertainty still in her voice.  
  
"I promise." he replied. "Here..." he handed her a handkerchief. "Everything will be fine."  
  
She took the handkerchief gratefully. "Thank you..." she looked around nervously. "Where am I?"  
  
"You're at the palace. A slave...like me." he added.  
  
"A slave...?" she repeated. Slowly and reluctantly he nodded. "My name is Syaoran." he smiled.  
  
"Oh...I'm Sakura." she replied.  
  
"Sakura...? That's a really beautiful name."  
  
Feeling slightly better Sakura tried to smile too. "I hope we can become good friends." 


	2. Another day of slavery

Arigatou gozaimas for all your wonderful reviews!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura or any of its characters.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
"Li!" a voice cracked through the air.  
  
Syaoran sighed. He had tried to creep in without anyone noticing...obviously it didn't work. He turned to face his overseer, a powerfully built man who towered over him.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
The overseer looked up and down at him with dislike etched on his face. Syaoran had now grown into muscular 15 year old. His hair still the same color and his eyes filled with determination. He wore a simple sleeveless navy tunic with full length grey trousers - the "uniform" of the slaves. 5 meters away, a girl with bright green eyes sat up straighter and quivered slightly, as if listening with fear.  
  
The overseer narrowed his eyes down at Syaoran with hatred. "Explain to me why you're 5 minutes late for breakfast."  
  
"I don't know." he replied, with no emotion in his voice.  
  
The overseer raised his whip and flung it at Syaoran. A scar appeared on his left arm. However, he did not flinch nor show any emotion on his face. All eyes were focused on them now.  
  
"Let's try that again. Why are you 5 minutes late, Li?"  
  
"I don't know." he repeated.  
  
The overseer, nostrils flaring, raised his whip a second time but lowered his arm after a while.  
  
"Fine. If you choose to be like this. You are going to scrub the pig sties until they are spotless by yourself. Of course you have to do your other chores as well. Is that clear?"  
  
"Yes." Syaoran replied, his voice still emotionless.  
  
With a satisfied smile on his face, the overseer walked away. Syaoran walked up to the cooks for his usual breakfast as if nothing had happened.  
  
"Why I am so sorry, slave." said one of the cooks, mockery clear in his voice. "Because you are late, there is no food left for you."  
  
Syaoran swallowed his anger and walked away. Breakfast was the only meal the slaves had each day. He calmly sat down next to the girl who'd sat up seconds before. As he sat down everyone stopped staring at him and started to talk amongst themselves.  
  
She took his hand in hers. "Syaoran...why did you go against him again?" she asked, the concern obvious on her face.  
  
"Because I don't like him." he replied, as if that was an extremely good reason.  
  
"...Is your arm ok?"  
  
"It's fine."  
  
She grabbed her dress which was starting to get shorter and shorter and tore a long strip from it. Slowly and carefully she wrapped it around his arm, tying it into a small knot at the end.  
  
"Thanks..." he said gratefully. The cut was starting to sting a little, although he wasn't going to let the overseer have the satisfaction of knowing.  
  
"I should go now." he sighed as he stood up. "Seeing as I have to scrub the sties as well as normal chores. Ja Sakura."  
  
Sakura too stood up and ran to him with a slice of toast in her hand. (A.N. they only have two slices of toast so it's like giving away all her breakfast seeing as she's already finished her other slice.)  
  
"Syaoran! Have something to eat...otherwise you're going to starve all day." She held it in front of him. He took it and tore a small piece off, and then gave the rest back to her.  
  
"Thanks." he said and ran off before she could say anything.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Syaoran plodded along the palace corridor, trying to keep in the shadows and not to be spotted. The last thing he needed was yet another chore set by some wandering prince or duke. The overseer seemed to have a problem with him. He'd always picked on him ever since Syaoran first arrived at the palace.  
  
"What did I do to annoy him..." he wondered to himself. "What on earth did I do...?" The same question he'd pondered ever since he started working at the palace. "Maybe I owed him something really badly in my past life..."  
  
He opened a small wooden door used by slaves to go in and out of the castle. Slaves never used the proper double doors, with magnificent carvings on. As he walked outside he inhaled the much needed fresh air. The palace was always stuffy. He wrinkled his nose as he got closer to the sties.  
  
"Guess I have to get to work now..."  
  
He pulled out a white handkerchief and tied it around his head, covering his nose and mouth. It didn't help much, but at least the smell wasn't as bad now. Walking over to a small wooden shed, he pulled out two buckets and dragged them a deep stream which was quite far away from the sties. He let the water fill the buckets before dragging them back again. He sighed as he found a scrubbing brush in the shed, and started to work.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Syaoran practically crawled to the stream for what felt like the hundredth time. However, he was pretty sure this was going to be the last time.for today at least. There was only one tiny spot left in the sty; everything else was clean. Grinning triumphantly, he dragged the buckets back to the sties encouraging himself with the fact that he could return into the cool shade of the palace soon.  
  
However.when he reached the sties.it looked exactly the same as how it did when he'd just started. Dropping the buckets in surprise, he stared at the parts where he'd been cleaning.  
  
"Didn't seem to do much today, did you, Li?" asked a snarling voice.  
  
Syaoran turned his head so quickly to the side that pain sprang up his spine. The overseer looked down at him triumphantly, grinning like a Cheshire cat. Sweat dripping down his brow, Syaoran now regretted dropping the buckets. He picked them up with the little strength he had left and sighed in defeat. The overseer, still grinning, sat down comfortably on the grass whilst he watched Syaoran work.  
  
A/N: Er.I didn't think that was a very good chapter.gomen. -.- I keep starting fanfictions and then not finishing them.*goes off to TRY and update Ai Bu Liao Ni* 


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